Rail-joint.



E. W. BRUNTON.

RAIL JOINT. APPIJTCATION"'FILED A'PR.17. 1-915.

lg 208,284. Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- E. W. BRUNTON.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1915.

'mmmmf Patented Dec. 12,1916,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- L 1mm;f@lfi@im 6, I v v 4 5 7, which conforms to face of the base flange 8 on one end of the.

EARL W. BRUNTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Tree. t2, T216.

Application filed April 17, 1915. Serial No. 22,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, EARL W. BRUNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon relates to rail joints, the.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification. Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one side of arail joint constructed in accordance with my invention, posite side, the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4 is a side elevational view looking at one side of the modified form of rail, Fig. 5 is a similar view looking at the opposite side, Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of one side of a rail joint embodying another form of my invention, Fig. 8 is a similar view, looking at the opposite side, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the ing in the direction of the arrow.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of this invention, a pair of rails 5 and 6 are provided, the rail 5 as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 3, being of an ll-shaped configuration on one end, and having a portion of the upper face of one side of the base flange removed to provide a flat unbroken surface the shape, of the lower Fig. 2 is a similar view of the op- Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon line 9-9 of Fig. 8, lookrail 6 and is adapted for snug engagement therewith. The proximate lateral faces of the webs of the rails 5 and 6 are of a concave-convex configuration, and lie approximately in the median vertical plane of the rail, as indicated at 9, whereby possibility of the rails sagging at their joint is positively precluded, especially in view of the remaining structure of the rails. The upper marginal edge of the rail 5 is arranged subjacent the head of the rail 6 and is engaged therewith, whereby the head of said rail 6 is supported. The proximate end of the rail 6 has its web ofiset so that the outer face thereof will be coincident with the side of the head of the rail. It is of course, understood that the web of the rail 6, and the portion of the rail-5, above the base flange of the latter, on the proximate ends of the rails,

are snugly engaged and are held in'this position by bolts 10 of the usual configuration. The rails 5 and 6 are, of course, of the usual configuration except at their joint with each other, at which place the structure, as above specified, is provided. The rails after having been associated in the manner described, are spiked to the tiell in the usual manner.

As shown to advantage in Fig. 2, the head of the rail 5, and the head of the rail 6 will .be in close proximity after the proximate ends thereof have been engaged, although it is preferable that the heads of said rails be appreciably spaced so as to permit of the expansion and contraction of the rails.

The modification, as shown in Figs. t, 5 and 6 embodies a pair of rails 5' and 6,each of said rails 5 and 6 being of the usual configuration and having their proximate ends complementally formed, so as to be snugly engaged and occupy a minimum will be hereinafter set forth. The rail 5 has its web and base flange extended, the latter having one of its margins turned upwardly at right angles thereto, to provide an abutment, while the former has its opposite faces concaved, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 6. The end of the rail 6 which is to be joined to the rail 5, has a portion of its web ofi'set, as indicated at12, the outer face thereof alineing with the outer edge of the head of said amount of space 'as one of the concave faces of the extended web on the rail 5'. The webs of the rails 5 and 6 are thereby snugly engaged, so that the extended web on the rail 5 will lie directly rail, while the inner face is convex to engage beneath the longitudinal axis of the head of the rail 6, at that portion of the latter where the web is offset. The offset portion 12 of the rail 6' is extended beyond its head and is adapted to lie directly beneath the head of the rail 5 so as to reinforce the latter, incidentally providing a very rigid joint, which will be capable of withstanding the strain exerted thereon, by the passage of rolling stock thereover, without causing the rails to sag. That portion of the base flange of the rail 6' which is carried by the offset portion 12, is of course, likewise ofl'set, as indicated at 13, so as to lie in superimposed relation to the base flange on the rail '5', the abutment 5 on the base flange of the rail 5, positively preventing casual displacement of the latter, even, should the bolts 14 be displaced. To retain the proximate ends of the rails 5' and 6' from displacement, suitable means has been provided in the present instance comprising the usual bolts and nuts 14.

In Figs. 7,8 and 9 a further modified form of this invention has been shown, which embodies a pair of rails 15 and 16, which are likewlse of the usual configuration, and also have the proximate ends thereof complementally formed to minimize possibility of the rails being accidentally displaced at their joint. The rail 15 has a portion of-its base flange removed, as indicated at 17, and has its web and the opposite side of the base flange extended beyond the terminal of the rail, as indicated at 18 and illustrated to advantage in Fig. 7 The rail 16 has a portion of its web laterally offset, as indicated at 19, and shown to advantage in Fig. 9, said web and the base flange of the rail being extended beyond the end of the rail proper, as designated at 20. By laterally offsetting the rail as indicated at 19, a channel is provided into which the extended end 18 and the base flange thereof, of the rail 15 are received. the base flange of the extended portion 18 having a smooth lower face which abuts with a complemental face on the base flange of the rail 16. As illustrated to advantage in Fig.

9, the extended portion 18 will reinforce the head of the rail 16, since it lies subjacent the latter, and directly below the longitudinal axis thereof. It will likewise be observed that the abutting lateral faces of the rails 15 and 16 are of a concavo-convex configuration, to further reduce possibility of the rails being displaced. The extended portion of the laterally offset web l9'of the rail 16, of course, abuts with the web of the rail 15, and that point where the base flange has been removed, as indicated at 17, thereby reinforcing the head of the rail 15. Bolts 20 are engaged through the webs of the rails 15 and 16, at the joint of the latter, to prevent displacement of the rails. As a further means for preventing the spreading of the rails at their joints, bolts 21 are engaged through the base flanges of said rails at their joints, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 9.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any tages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of rails, one rail having a portion of its web oflset laterally with its outer face coincident with the side of the head of the rail and its inner face of convex form, the remaining rail having an extended Web portion with concaved inner and outer faces the concaved inner face engaging the convex inner face of the first-mentioned rail, one of said rails having a portion of its base cut-away,the remaining baseportion of said last-mentioned rail resting upon the corresponding base portion of the remaining rail, said corresponding portion of said remaining rail being provided with a flat upper face, and securing means engaged through the overlapping portions of said rails.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair of overlapping rails, one-half having an extended and laterally off-set web portion provided with a straight outer face and a convex inner face, the remaining rail having a web portion provided with a concaved face for engagement with the convex face of the firstmentioned rail web, the web portion of the second-mentioned rail resting beneath the longitudinal center of the head of the firstmentioned rail, the overlapping portions of the rails having the concaved and convex faces of their web portions engaged to prevent sagging of the rails, one of said rails having a portion of its base cut-away, the remaining rail having the opposite portion of its base provided with a flat upper face to receive the base of the first-mentioned rail, means for securing the base portions of said rails to a tie and securing means for engaging through the overlapping portions of said rails.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EARL W. BRUNTON.

of the advan-- 

